


change the rules, let's cross the boundaries we've overgrown

by SamanthaFeng



Category: Lost Girl
Genre: F/F
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-03-08
Updated: 2015-03-08
Packaged: 2018-03-16 21:59:12
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,060
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3504236
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SamanthaFeng/pseuds/SamanthaFeng
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>“She’s not helping me, she’s using me. Now I'm taking things into my own rapidly wrinkling, human hands.”  -  Evony Fleurette Marquise</p>
            </blockquote>





	change the rules, let's cross the boundaries we've overgrown

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Natasi (SwordDraconis113)](https://archiveofourown.org/users/SwordDraconis113/gifts), [AbbyLoLo](https://archiveofourown.org/users/AbbyLoLo/gifts).



> For Natasi. A belated thank you for the beautiful fic I received a month ago. I know the quality of this fic is not on par with the gift I got, but I hope at least the effort counts.
> 
> Also, for LoLo, just because she asked me to.
> 
> Huge thanks to the wonderful tanghali, who encourages me and betas for me even if she doesn't watch this show.

ONE

 

Evony sits on the chair, perfectly manicured fingers idly flicking through Lauren's latest budget proposal. “Remind me again,” she says in an exasperated tone, “why I have to invest another two million on this.” 

Mindfully making sure she didn't match Evony's tone, Lauren patiently explains the contents of page 2 and 3 of her report. “The clinic is close to discovering the cause behind a contagious fae disease. We have a few new patients who have shown signs of having contracted it, since the storm last week. The equipment and medication listed in page 5 are essential to—” 

“All I hear is _blah, blah, blah_ ,” says the dark-haired ex-fae, each ‘blah’ punctuated by a page turning until Evony reaches the end of her report and throws it down the table. “The good doctor wants to save lives, got it. But enlighten me, how does this help to create my serum? How many lines do I have to grow under my eyes?”

Lauren bites back a sigh and wants to point out that Evony doesn’t have wrinkles at all, but that would reveal she’d been paying close attention. Still, Evony’s knowing gaze burns her skin. She tries not to fidget. “The development of your serum has suffered some setbacks. I may need the result of this research to help identify the—”

“ _Please_.” A long-suffering sigh. “I may be human, but I’m not a fool.”

Evony uncrosses her legs and leans forward, her face all but covering Lauren’s vision. The smile that sits on her lips is deceptively sweet. “I’m well-aware of your little agenda, Doctor Lewis. And the truth is, I don’t mind being used from time to time. Ask half of the greatest artists in history. Just as long as you prove yourself useful in the end.”

She curls a few wayward strands of blonde hair around her slim finger and tucks it behind Lauren's ear. The touch is so light that Lauren almost relaxes.

Evony catches the slight change in her demeanor and smirks, pulling back. “Happy to have this little tea time with you, Doctor Lewis. And I'm sure the husband will always have a few thousand bucks to spare but until you make actual progress...”

The sight of the report upturned, papers flying in the air, is like a slap on Lauren's face.

 

TWO

 

Even before she set foot in the lab, Lauren can already hear the smooth tinkling laughter, that unmistakable voice.

“Oh please, Isaac Newton was by no means a vampire. Nikola Tesla, on the other hand...”

Her assistant chokes back a giggle. “I never would have taken you for a Sanctuary fan, Ms. Marquise.”

 “Call me Evony, dear. And no, I would never watch that little web series. I may have shared this little tidbit with Mr. Kindler in a gala once. I was pretty tipsy. The little twerp pretended not to hear me but used it as a basis for his show!”

The scene that greets Lauren is one of Linda, her assistant, looking adoringly up at Evony who is nursing a bottle of beer in her hand. Chest tight with emotion (one she can’t tell what it is so she decides to go with anger), Lauren steps into the room and into their line of vision.

She puts on her best disapproving look. “Having fun? Linda, I thought you were staying behind for work, not beer.”

Linda tenses and quietly gathers the papers on her desk. She darts a glance between the two women and decides to leave. Out of the corner of her eyes, she sees Evony observing both of them with amusement.

“What are you doing here?” Lauren hisses out when Linda is gone.

“What? It’s my clinic! Don’t you think I should visit once in a while, make sure you’re putting my money to good use?”

“From what I just saw, you weren’t doing a routine check up, but gossiping with my staff.”

“Oh all right, so what if I was?” Evony relents easily, holding out her bottle of beer like a peace offering.

Lauren swats it away. “Dark Belch again? I’m surprised you didn’t bring pizza as well.”

Evony shrugs and takes a swig of the beer herself.“It's human Belch. Slightly more bitter but not as strong.”

“You can't blame a girl for wanting to stay from pizza for a while,” she continues, “since last time she ate pizza with someone, that someone took advantage and it cost her her life.”

“I didn't...” Lauren stammers. She throws her hands in the air, frustrated at the sudden guilt that rose up to her throat. She was supposed to be angry, damn it. “I never took your life!”

To her surprise, Evony doesn't snark back. She tilts her head, uncharacteristically quiet, but her gaze is sharp and piercing, as if she can read whatever it is Lauren is thinking.

Like she knows that the night with pizza and beer was the first time in a long while Lauren had an intelligent conversation with someone. Someone who actually listened and understood and challenged her on equal ground. The night Lauren tries her best to forget, when she’s determined to hold on to the idea of a ruthless The Morrigan’s, to justify what she did to the woman who listened to her geeking about Star Trek with smile in her eyes.

Lauren sucks in her guilt. _She tried to kill Bo_ , she reminds herself. _Now she’s clearly trying to manipulate Linda_.

She rolls her shoulders back and lifts her chin up, and with an even voice, says, “Now if you don’t mind, I’d like you to leave me to my research.”

Evony smiles, grabbing her handbag from the desk without breaking her gaze. “Ta darling.”

Something catches Lauren's eyes when Evony passes by. She had quickly placed some documents in her bag; a few sheets were peeking out. "Wait. What's that?"

"Bed-time reading materials." Evony says offhandedly. "I didn’t know you were interested in my private entertainment, Docter Lewis."

Unconvinced, Lauren snatches the paper out of her bag. The faded folder is easy to recognize. It’s her work on the serum. Eyes flicking back to Evony, Lauren feels disgust. "You're stealing my work again? Is this why you're suddenly friendly with Linda, to have her steal from me?"

"Fine. You caught me. But do you honestly expect me to quietly sit there and wait, when you're doing nothing about my serum?"

Lauren snaps. "I didn't expect you to use an innocent human girl who knows nothing about the fae! What are you planning to do, educate her about the fae, ask her to make your serum, and then leave her to become a property of the dark?”

"Relax, Lauren." Envoy looks slightly offended. "I merely want her to steal your serum for me, or steal your notes so I can make it myself. Whichever is more convenient."

Lauren barks out a laugh. "Sure. I would love to see you in a lab coat."

A teasing smile curls up on Evony's lips as she purrs, “You would be surprised. Rosie certainly loved it."

She’s not supposed to take the bait, but, "Rosie?"

"Rosalind Franklin. I assume you have read of her in some of your textbooks?"

"Rosalind Franklin? Of course I have! She was... the dark lady of DNA..." Lauren trails off. The nick name suddenly made so much more sense. "Oh."

Evony's smirk turns into a grin. "The name does have a nice ring to it, doesn't it? I wanted that name for myself, but even I had to admit it suited her better."

"So she was one of your feeds? I didn't know you were into science."

"Now I'm hurt." Evony feigns surprise and leans closer as if to whisper a secret into Lauren’s ear. "After everything we did, isn't it obvious I have a soft spot for brilliant science ladies?"

A finger brushes over her arm, Evony's last line barely more than a low whisper beside her ear. Lauren inhales, closing her eyes briefly before turning away.

"You stay away from Linda, Evony, otherwise I'll make sure you won't get your hands on anything."

Evony's smile deepens. "Oh honey, we'll see."

 

THREE

 

By the time Lauren arrives at her own apartment, it's almost 10pm.

Laurens sighs as she fishes out her key. She’s exhausted. She could have spent some quality time with Bo, but instead, here she is late at night—alone and mind still racing about work. Mysterious human deaths, fae hurt by the Ancients, an assistant she is no longer sure how much she can trust, and the serum, despite being the last thing she wanted to think about, still sitting heavily in her mind.

By now, Lauren has admitted to herself turning Evony human was an impulsive move. Yes, she had conducted extensive research, experimented as thoroughly as she can, but she had been remarkably shortsighted about the consequences. She had decided a world where Bo was no longer hunted down by the dark leader and where she was free from the fae was worth whatever consequence she was going to face. But she hadn’t thought about Evony.

Her scientist mind, while gloating about the successful experiment and the threat she had eliminated, failed to take into account the fact that Evony, albeit being transformed, was not just going to disappear into thin air. Evony relied on her knowledge to transform her back to who she used to be. And Lauren relied on her resources to chase her dream. However small, she had become a part of her life.

Her hand goes up to the key nestled beneath her neckline and a small sense of relief washes over her when her fingertips come into contact with the cold metal.

This is a complicated situation she doubts will end well. For all that she has been trying, Lauren cannot find the right solution.

"You're home late, Doctor Lewis." A voice breaks into her reverie.

Startled, Lauren gasps at the silhouette leaning on the couch. With trembling fingers she scrambles for the light switch and flips it on. Anger replaces shock as the intruder's figure becomes clear.

Evony is sitting on her couch with a glass of red wine at hand, observing her with amusement. The scenario looks familiar but at least Evony hasn't gone all the way to a silk robe.

Lauren angrily drops her handbag on the dining table and demands, "Why are you here? How did you even get into my apartment?"

"Oh, I know a lot about keys and hiding places, doctor. Bottom of your mailbox. It was surprisingly easy to find."

Evony stands up and Lauren realizes she was wrong before. The dress Evony is wearing is a deep dark red, the same shade as the wine in her hand. It may not expose as much skin as that purple lingerie Lauren chose to wear, but it hugs Evony's curves like second skin and shows enough cleavage that makes Lauren's mouth goes dry.

Evony pours a glass of wine and hands to her.

Lauren ignores it. Combing a hand through her hair, Lauren tries to bite back the frustration. She wanted a quiet night with a long bath and a book. Maybe some wine, but certainly not from Evony. She is too tired to play this game tonight. "What do you want?" She asks wearily.

Evony still holds the glass, insisting. Lauren takes it, not in a mood to fight, and a small smile plays on Evony's lips. "Company," she says simply.

Lauren eyes her skeptically. The wine is really good, she takes a long sip, feeling it soothing her nerves, and taming the anger she felt before. She relaxes visibly.

The smile deepens in Evony's eyes. She steps close, right hand reaching up and to rest on the collar of Lauren's white shirt. "You look exhausted," she whispers," I know a way to make it better."

She is so close, the breath she exhales falling on Lauren's lips. Lauren drops her gaze, she can see a small drop of wine on Evony's bottom lip, and could taste it if she just closes that last centimeter. She shuts her eyes. "I know what you're doing, Evony. I have Bo now, if you want to have sex, find someone else."

"You humans and your absurd rules of monogamy." Evony pouts. "Bo needs to feed on others, there's no reason why you can't have some fun too."

"I'm satisfied with Bo, I don't need fun with other people."

"Oh honey," Evony purrs, the hand that is not on her collar now tracing small patterns on her inner wrist. "You'll know what satisfaction truly is when I'm done with you."

Lauren's breathe catches at the feather light sensation on her skin. She grabs Evony's hand, stopping its movement. "What about your husband?"

Evony withdraws her hand. Something flickers though her face before it hardens. "If you're suggesting the man who maintains a strict schedule for his sex life, I can assure you my horse is a much better company in comparison."

Realization strikes Lauren. "You're lonely."

Evony glares at Lauren sharply. Lauren flinches, regretting what she said. But then her expression softens a little. "This is your fault," Evony says, "I used to have hundreds of brilliant minds wanting me, now I have to stay in the damn manor all day. I can't possibly seduce my servants, can I?"

Suddenly Evony is close again, their body almost pressing together, breath tickling the shell of Lauren’s ear. “This is your obligation, Docter Lewis. You have to take care of it."

Evony takes Lauren’s right hand and lets it rest on the hem of her dress. Lauren’s fingers slip underneath soft fabric, finally touching bare thigh. Evony makes no further move, her head tilts slightly, waiting.

Lauren is aware of the smooth skin on her fingertips, the heady scent of wine and perfume. Obligation, she thinks, is something she can deal with. She can take care of this, as long as she is the one in control.

Lauren closes her eyes. Fingers travel forward, the dress hitches up, Lauren bites back a moan when her hand meets with soft curls and wetness there without further obstacle. “You’re not…”

“No,” Evony smirks, “didn’t want anything to stop you.”

Lauren pushes Evony back, her back hitting the edge of the dining table with a thud. Evony makes no complaint, only opens her legs and grants Lauren more access.

There is no hesitation this time, fingers skim over flesh roughly and slip inside. Warmth pools between Lauren’s legs when Evony’s breathing hitches and her eyes flutter closed. It's breathtaking and thrilling that watching the great Morrigan crumbling under her touch, her head thrown back, eyes shut and lips forming a small gasp.

She slips another finger in. Evony moans, her grip on Lauren’s wrist tightening. Lauren contemplates the idea of going down on her (she craves Evony's taste as human, curious to know if it would be any different), but she can't take her eyes from the scene in front of her. This is the rare, maybe only, moment that she can catch a glimpse of an Evony who is stripped of all her masks, flesh bare and desire raw. Lauren suspects Evony never fully lets go of control, even in sex, even at the edge of an orgasm, she can still turn the tables easily and have Lauren come before she does. But at least she is willing to give up enough, and Lauren can never resist taking it.

Lauren presses the bottom of her palm at Evony's clit, hard. Then there it is, her name falls out of Evony's lips like a soft prayer, sending electricity to her own nerve ending.

Lauren knows Evony is close, but she toys with the ideas of dragging this out, or pushing her over the edge now and hearing the final cry. She pulls out her fingers, drags the slickness over the soft flesh lightly. Evony whimpers at the sudden loss. Her eyes snap open, the hand that was gripping the edge of the table now comes to rest on Lauren's cheek. Then without a warning, Lauren feels lips crushing down on her own, tongue entering before she can protest. Lauren gives up to the sensation, she fists her hand in those dark curls, squeezes her eyes shut and lets Evony pulls her bottom lips between hers, biting and sucking. She is vaguely aware of a hand clutching around her right wrist, holding the hand in place, and Evony riding her fingers with abandon.

Moment passes, Lauren tears her mouth away, gasping for air. She can see the look on Evony's face, and she gives in. Her skillful fingers curl into the right spot, and a few solid strokes on the clit later, Evony tenses up, Her breath hitches then air forcing out of her mouth in a broken scream, sounding almost like Lauren's name.

Lauren tightens her grip on Evony's waist, feeling her going soft in her arm. Without thinking, she drops a kiss on her forehead tenderly. As if seeking for something, her tongue tip darts out and tastes salt.

“Are you happy?” Evony asks between breaths.

“What?”

“To know I’m still human.” Evony pulls out from her grip.

“I’m not.”

But she is. To know she is human, to know she sweats in sex like her, to know they are standing on equal ground. It means something to her, even if she doesn’t know what herself.

Absently, she feels a hand slipping into her bra, brushing over her nipples. She then notices her shirt has popped open, looking up, Evony grins proudly at her.

Evony grabs her arm, Lauren soon finds their positions switched, the hard surface is now beneath her legs.

“This is not about—” _Me_ …The remaining sentence gets swallowed when two fingers enter her with ease.

“Shhh.” Evony leans in, teasing, “I promised to leave you satisfied.”

She didn’t realize she had been so worked up. Her legs start to shake when Evony’s fingers stroke her long and firmly.

Evony’s lips nips at her jaw, then traces a line from the angle near her ear to her neck, finding the soft skin of where collarbone meets shoulder. Teeth sinking in briefly, Lauren moans, arching her neck to give her more access.

A slim finger ghosts over her collarbone, in a haze of desire, Lauren feels something nipping at her mind, something…

Lauren catches the hand that is roaming on her body; her eyes snap open, staring at the key in Evony’s palm.

“So this is what you really want.” Lauren laughs.

“A little souvenir won’t hurt.” Evony pouts, faking innocence.

“No, Evony.” Lauren chuckles bitterly. “You can’t always get what you want.”

The expression on Evony’s face hardens. She opens her mouth to retort, then closes it, expression changing again. “It doesn’t mean _you_ can’t get what you want.” She purrs, fingers curl up inside of Lauren.

Lauren hates herself for bucking up involuntarily. She stills Evony’s hand, pulling it out. “Get out!”

“Whatever you want, doctor.” Lauren sits up, breathing hard, her mind in shambles. Idly she watches as Evony straightens her dress and leaves.

With her jeans unbuttoned and shirt still a mess, Lauren buries her head in her palms. She should have gone to Bo’s place. Tonight could have ended up so differently.

She considers calling Bo, but tosses the phone away in the end.

She spends the rest of the night with her own hand in her legs, wishing it were someone else’s. When she comes, she bites her lips so hard until tastes copper, too afraid to cry out the wrong name.

 

FOUR

 

"You're at least half an hour early."

Lauren shouts over the door. "You know, you could caught me in a - " She opens the door, and the rest of the sentence is abruptly stopped when the former Morrigan is revealed at the other side.

Lauren blinks, resisting the urge to shut the door on her face. "Evony, why on earth are you at my apartment again?"

"I'm dying." The other woman declares, her face scrunched up.

 _The consequences finally caught up with her._ This is the first thought comes to Lauren.

Somewhere in her mind, she is aware that there is always a chance someone (one of the dark, the countless enemies Evony must have made during those two thousand years) would seize the opportunity to take her down now her power is gone. Lauren realizes, along with a pang of something, now it may finally happen, and she will be one who caused her death in the first place. Lauren inhales, cursing herself mentally, Evony is never one to keep a low profile, but she should know better, she could have.....

The doctor's instinct makes her stops that train of thought. She rushes forward, checking for any signs of fatal wounds. Belatedly, she realizes Evony doesn't show any sign of injury.

"Evony, what happened?" Lauren asks, checking her pupils. "Why are you dying?"

Evony swats her hand away. "I can't breathe." Lauren notices she has been sniffling. "My throat is sore, my whole body aches. And I have this gigantic headache that has been trying very hard to kill me since yesterday."

Lauren steps back, feeling oddly relieved listening to Evony reciting her symptoms. "You have the flu, Evony. You should see a doctor."

Evony glares at her. "What do you think I'm doing right now?"

"A real doctor. I'm a geneticist; I don't treat people with flu."

"Like hell I'm gonna let any schnook doctor treat me." Evony says, horrified. "So you're letting me die here? Isn't it against your oath or something?"

"You're not dying, Evony. People don't die from a little flu."

"Really?" Evony’s brows rise. "What about pneumonia, viral myocarditis? And the millions died in Spanish influenza? I once said similar things to Egon Schiele, now you're making me feel this… this feeling of guilt!"

Lauren opens mouth then closes it when Evony starts sneezing. The Morrigan glares at her in between sneezes, probably trying to make Lauren look away but instead of looking threatening, Evony looks almost… cute. Lauren feels amused, watching the woman waving her hands, trying ineffectively to stop making the strangled sounds. When she finally calms down, Evony looks murderous.

Lauren chuckles. "Fine, come in. I'll give you some medicine."

She leads Evony into the room, signals her to sit on the couch, and hands her some tissues.

Evony grabs them, dabbing them on her nose before speaking, "I don't understand how you humans survived this. The headache, fatigue, and the disgusting runny nose. Ugh." She grunts, "If this is humanity, I don't want any of it."

Lauren smiles, taking over the space beside Evony. "Could you uh..." Evony turns to her and Lauren suddenly fumbles now they are face to face, Evony's eyes boring in to her. The last time she was close enough to see the flush on her cheeks (although due to a completely different reason), they were in a more awkward situation. Lauren lowers her gaze. "I'm just going to..."

Lauren raises her hand, hesitates, before placing it on Evony's forehead. She tries not to falter at the way Evony's eyelashes quiver and the touch sears her fingertips.

"You're burning up." Lauren says, withdrawing her hand after a second. She explains, "Fever is a common symptom of flu. It may due to you being human for a only short time that you have such a severe reaction."

"All thanks to you." Evony murmurs under her breath.

"I..." Lauren swallows. It _is_ her fault, somehow. "I'll go get the thermometer so I can test your temperature."

Then she hears Evony makes a small noise. Turning her head, Lauren sees the woman holding out her hand to her, nose scrunches and brows twist. "What?"

"Give." Evony forces out a word. Lauren looks over to the direction she is pointing, then understands. "Oh."

Lauren hands over the tissue box to Evony. She grabs a handful hurriedly, covers her nose and starts sneezing again.

"Your immunity system is likely to adapt better to human disease in given time. It won't be so bad the next time you catch a flu." Lauren offers, as a comfort.

Evony just rolls her eyes, reclines back on the couch tiredly.

Lauren opens her medical kit and finds the thermometer. She hands it to Evony and instructs, "Insert it into your mouth and hold it under the tongue."

"Put this thing in mouth?" Evony grimaces, as if it was the most horrendous thing in the universe. "How do you know it doesn't carry something contagious?"

"It's sterilized!" Lauren's patience is wearing thin. "Just put it in your mouth and it'll be done in 30 seconds!"

"Gee, doc, your bedside manner is awful."

Lauren sighs, lowering her voice. "Well, you could hold it under your armpit. Although as a doctor, I'd prefer to take your oral temperature, as it's more reliable."

Evony eyes the thermometer suspiciously before slipping it into her mouth. Lauren waits until the thermometer beeps and takes it. "102.5 °F," she says, then realizes Evony probably won't know what it means. "You're having a high fever. It also explains your headache and fatigue. I'll give you some ibuprofen, with enough rest and fluid intake, the fever should break by tomorrow."

Lauren pours a glass of water in silence.

"You do know that if you just change me back, it will save us all this trouble," Evony says after a beat.

Lauren turns to face the woman, holding the glass tightly. She feels the irritation bubbling up in her chest. "Just..." Evony narrows her eyes, watching her expectantly, and Lauren snaps. "Why are you so obsessed with changing back? I know the Morrigan despises humans, but for someone who lived two thousand years, can't you just enjoy your human life as it is?"

"How?" Evony scoffs. "Do you mean this life stuck with the old boring hubby who wants nothing more but to stay in his man cave?"

"I don't know!" Lauren throws her hands up in the air. "Just...do things."

"Hmm." Evony says, mockingly. "Maybe I should run for the president, if your human politics doesn't leave such a bland taste in my mouth."

Lauren closes her eyes, regretting this conversation already. But Evony's voice follows. "Pray tell me, Doctor Lewis, why do you think I should enjoy this human life? Should I enjoy this flu you give me, or my rapidly aging human body?"

"I give you humanity!" Lauren snaps, "and compassion, and feelings, which you might be able to experience if you're not so busy looking into the mirror."

Evony snorts. "Please, don’t be so arrogant as to assume humans are the only ones with feelings. The only difference is humans are overwhelmed by them. Fae are able to choose what to feel. Over our long lifespans, we are able to master at controlling our feelings."

"You're telling me you choose to overlook empathy and compassion and love, to become a cold, ruthless bitch. Why am I not surprised?"

Evony shrugs. "I live in a world that cannot afford feelings. Feelings make you weak, give your enemies leverage. I've spent centuries coming out on top in this man's world, I'll be damned if I let them think I'm weak just because I'm an emotional chick."

Her eyes flick to Lauren, softening for a briefest moment before hardening again. "If I didn't possess certain feelings for you, you wouldn't be standing here breathing right now. It could have saved me a lot of trouble. "

Lauren swallows. She lowers her gaze, not wanting to know what it means. "But Bo doesn't...She lives in the same world as you, and she's not afraid to..."

"We all fight our battles differently. The succu - Bo lives her own life, and truth is I can almost respect that, but I don't regret mine. You may have turned my DNA human, but you and I both know, I'm still not built that way." She pauses, waiting until Lauren returns her gaze to her. And what Lauren sees, or she thinks she sees, is something honest. "You Lauren, of all the people, should understand the feeling of living in a world where you don't belong.”

 _Maybe_ , Lauren thinks, but she still won't change Evony back. She can't.

Wordlessly, she hands her the glass of water and pills. To her surprise, Evony doesn't say another word, just swallows it without any resistance.

Lauren drags her finger through her hair, feeling somewhat awkward at Evony's unusual silence. She does look tired though, Lauren notices, having arms wrap around her own body.

"God, it's so cold here." Evony says with a frown.

"It's actually because of the increase of your body temperature set-point. Your body is now working to generate and conserve more heat, which results in..." Realizing Evony isn't really listening, Lauren stops her ramble. "Uh...I can get you a blanket if you want. And more water."

Evony hums in agreement. When Lauren is back, she is curling on the couch, eyes half closed. Lauren hears her mumbles, "Why do I feel so sleepy? You didn't drug me, did you?"

Lauren feels her lips curling up. "It's the ibuprofen you took. You could..." She pauses to think about it. Staring at her watch for a moment, then to Evony, whose eyes already closed, she softly adds, "you could sleep here if you want, so I can monitor your temperature."

Evony doesn't reply, only shifting to a more comfortable position. Lauren sighs, kneels before Evony and drapes the blanket over her. Evony has already fallen asleep, breaths long and slow, dark curls casting a soft shadow on her cheeks. Something warm swells in Lauren's chest, she brushes those curls away from her cheeks, relishing the warmth of her skin. Fae's body temperature is lower than human, even in sex, Evony's skin had felt cool under her touch. But right now, she is so warm. So human. Apart from the occasional frown, she looks almost peaceful in her sleep. Gone is the sophisticated mask, her expression soft, vulnerable. Lauren wonders if Evony ever let anybody see her like this without killing them. Evony may loathe her human self, but Lauren, at this moment, feels a connection she hasn't felt with her own kind for a long time.

Lauren sets an alarm to remind her to wake Evony up for more medicine, then moves to another room to call Bo, explaining she has a patient to look after so they needed a rain check. When she comes back, she pulls a chair to sit beside the couch, and falls asleep while reading.

Lauren wakes up to a dark room, alarm blaring. She blinks, noticing there's no one on the couch.

"Evony?" She calls out. The room is empty, then she realizes, belated, the key around her neck is gone too.

 

FIVE

 

Evony disappeared that night, along with Lauren’s research notes and the half-finished serum.

Luckily, Evony didn’t cut off the funding of the clinic entirely. Lauren buries herself in clinic work, life with Bo, and the whole mess of the ancients. But she keeps imagining Evony turning up on her doorstep anytime, wanting to melt her for revenge, or worse, as a dead body. Every time a female body with brown hair being brought to the clinic, she gets a dreadful feeling, fearing she might see Evony’s face.

But Evony never shows up.

Not until one day, Bo comes to her, looking more relaxed than she has been in a while, and asks her, “Can you change Evony back?”

“What?” Dumfounded by the sudden question, Lauren questions, panic starting to rise. “Why are you asking about Evony?”

“She came back.” Seeing the look on Lauren’s face, Bo assures her, “No, she didn’t melt anyone. She showed up at The Dal today and offered to strike a deal.”

“What kind of deal?” Lauren asks uneasily.

“She offered to help us fighting with the ancients, on the condition that—” Bo hesitates, watching Lauren carefully. “That you change her back to fae.”

“What? No, you know we can’t change her back, Bo, she’ll have her power back and… Why do we need her help?”

“Lauren, she is older than most of the fae. She knows the ancients, she knows Iris. Iris is her older sister.”

“What?” Lauren stares at Bo wide-eyed, who nods, confirming what she just heard. “But Evony is… evil! If we change her back, she could…She could melt us, or go join the ancients!”

“Lauren. Lauren!” Bo grasps her shoulder, calming her. “Don’t worry about that. We’ll find a way to control her. She has never beaten us before, remember?”

Shoulders slacked, Lauren murmurs, “I don’t know, I just don’t think…”

“Lauren, just give her what she wants so we could get over with this ancients situation, then we’ll figure out the rest, okay?”

She knows they all want to defeat Iris and the other ancients, but there are things she couldn’t bring herself to do.

“I can’t.” She looks up to Bo’s waiting eyes, jaw clenched.

Not when it is not yet too late.

-

Lauren spots her at the Dal immediately. Evony sits in the shadows at a far corner, but her presence still fills up the room.

Evnoy doesn’t seem to have changed much, Lauren notices, except maybe straightened her hair. Still alive, and most likely still human.

Lauren walks up to her, fist clenched to restrain the mixed emotions bubbling in her chest. She stands awkwardly in front of her, can’t seem to find a word.

It’s Evony who speaks first, giving a small nod to acknowledge her presence. “Lauren.”

“Are you—” Lauren stops herself from saying the first thing on her mind and inhales. “How is your flu?”

Evony chuckles. “I’m very well. Thank you for asking, doctor.”

Lauren sits down on the opposite of her, waiting for Evony to say something more. But she offers nothing, her expression carefully masked. Lauren looks down at her hands, asking instead, “Why have you come back?”

“I’m sure Bo has informed you.”

“She did.”

“And your answer is?”

Clutching her hands together, Lauren lifts her head up. “No. I won’t change you back.”

Evony doesn’t look surprised. She holds her eyes solemnly. “You do know what is at stake here, don’t you? If the ancients come back, they’ll destroy the fae world, they’ll destroy the human world. They’ll eat us alive and there won’t be bones left.”

“Evony, threatening me won’t get you anywhere, you’ve tried that many times.”

Evony shrugs. “I only want to make sure you know what’s at stake here. I hope Bo also mentioned I promised to leave her alone after regaining my fae?” 

Lauren lets out a short, broken laugh. “Like we could trust you!”

“Lauren, why don’t you want to change me back?”

“Ha, do you really have to ask? You were the Morrigan, you threatened our lives, I don’t know how many times. Why do I want to give an enemy her power back?" 

“That is not true. I was never a threat to your life, Lauren, you could have done great things with the dark. As for the succubus, I have no intention to harm her since she joined dark, and I could also give you my blood oath that I won’t stand in her way if I change back. Tell me the truth, Doctor Lewis, what’s your real reason?”

“I don’t have—”

“Lauren,” Evony cuts her off, almost gently, “do I need to remind you that the last time someone kept me in the dark, I locked him in a box?”

Lauren swallows, looks away. She won’t change Evony back, she’s certain of that, the why shouldn’t matter. Evony is…Evony. She has perfect logical reasons for not wanting her back to The Morrigan. But…

“Because I can’t.” She surrenders, “I won’t change you back because it can’t be done. You have already experienced major transformation last time. Your cells may not be able to sustain another transformation and it may result in cellular degeneration. There is a high chance you could… die shortly after.”

“A 46.37% chance.” Evony nods.

“Yes! I won’t be the one who takes your life!” Lauren cries out, then realizes, “You knew?”

“Of course I knew. I’ve spent 40 days studying your notes, don’t you think I should have come up with the same conclusion?”

“Then why have you come back?” Lauren asks defensively, “Why are you still asking me?”

Evony shrugs. “I wanted to hear it from you. I wasn’t sure if you cared.”

“I don’t.” Lauren says stubbornly.

She doesn’t. She has so many things on her plate, caring for the Morrigan is an idea too absurd that she refuses to even think about. But killing her…

She doesn’t know what kind of answer Evony got from this, but Evony doesn’t snark at her, she simply asks, “Can you improve the serum? There must be a way—”

“I don’t know.” Lauren sighs, laying her palms flat against the table. “The human body is very complex and delicate. Do you really hate being human that much?”

“I believe we already had that conversation.” Evony says dismissively. Brushing over the hair on her shoulder, she presses her brows together. “I’ve already started to grow grey hair. I don’t think it looks good on me.”

“Let me see.” Evony tilts her head and let her. Fingers treading through thick hair, Lauren detects a thin strand of pale. She teases, “There are some other conditions besides aging can cause grey hair, stress, for example. You must have given yourself too much pressure developing your serum.”

Evony snorts, pulling away.

Lauren grasps her shoulder, stilling her. “Look, I’ll remove it for you. But I won’t suggest you do it often if it grows back. I sometimes grow a strand or two as well when I’m stressed out by work, so I don’t think you need to worry about aging yet." 

She nips the hair and gives a small tug. Evony winces slight. “There, all good.” Lauren assures her, showing her the pale hair.

Evony eyes it almost resentfully before brushing it off. Fingertip lightly skims over her palm, Lauren feels her cheeks warming up when memories rush back of the last time the same hand buried deep inside of her. 

“Is this what your human’s obsession of growing old together is about?” Evony asks, looking up to her curiously. “Counting each other’s white hair?”

“Well, it is, partially.” Lauren smiles. “It’s also about having shared memories of every stage of your life. Holidays, first step of your child, the first time you find you have white hair, or-”

Lauren catches her eyes. Evony is watching her with a quirk in the corner of her lips, but her eyes are incredibly soft. There is a flash of indescribable longing there that catches Lauren off-guarded, heart faltering in her chest and words dying on her lips.

She blinks and the moment is gone.

“Fae rarely have this need. I suppose it’s too difficult to share hundred years of your life with a single person.” Evony lowers her gaze, appearing thoughtful. “I don’t think I’ll ever be good at this being human thing.”

Her tone is indifferent, but somehow Lauren still feels the gravity of the words. Without thinking, she says, “I can teach you.” Evony’s eyes shoot up to her, Lauren quickly adds, explaining herself, “After all, you’re my obligation, as you used to point out.”

There is a brief moment of amusement in Evony’s eyes, before her expression hardens. “I’m not growing old with you, Lauren.” The words stop Lauren’s teasing smile midway. Evony watches it disappear. “I will not grow old, not in another two thousand years.”

Blood rushes to Lauren’s face, rage flaming in her chest. She is not angry with Evony, no, she is angry with herself. After all the things has happened, how could she still let herself feel something, let herself believe, even for a second, she is more than that evil, self-centered Morrigan? God she is such an idiot.

“Fine,” She snaps, feeling unshed tear pricking behind her eyelid. “Just drink your serum or whatever can make you go back to your old life!” She rises abruptly, chair clattering behind her.

Evony narrows her eyes. “I’m not an idiot, I’m not going to risk my life for only 60% chance of living afterwards.”

 _See if I care._ Lauren thinks, turning to leave.

 “Lauren.” Evony calls out after her, “Tell the succuslut I will still carry out my side of deal this time, even you can’t deliver yours. I’ll join her in the battle.”

Lauren stops on track. Turning to look at Evony, she asks in disbelief. “You want to fight with Bo? But you-” Rationality tells her the woman in front of her has lived two thousand years, she must have witnessed some great battles, but try as she may, Lauren can’t picture her, in heels and this little dress, fighting with something like a sword. She warns her, and hates herself for still caring enough to do so, “Evony, you don’t have your power, you could die easily as a human.”

“Oh honey, do you think I got the title Goddess of Battle only because I can melt people?”

“But you don’t have to do this. You only need to supply the information, Bo and Dyson can-”

“Lauren,” Evony stops her, “I’m not doing it for Bo, I’m not even doing it for the fae. I’ve been through enough wars in my life, if a war breaks out between the ancients and fae, I’d hate to think what would happen to my fragile human body. Or yours.”

Evony looks at her pointedly. She has yet discussed her time in Afghanistan with Bo, but she won’t be too surprised if Evony knows all about it. Lauren casts her gaze to the ground. “I’ll go too, just in case…”

Evony nods. “I’ll see you then, doctor. And Lauren, when this is over, I’ll expect you to continue working on my serum. A true scientist should not accept limits.”

“Evony, I’ll never change you back.”

“Hmm, maybe.” Lips quirk into a smile that matches Lauren’s. “But don’t expect me to stop trying.”

 


End file.
